By Akinwale Kasali
The Lagos State Government has made clarifications on the decision of the National Association of Residents Doctors, NARD, to call out doctors to a strike action beginning from Monday, 2nd August, 2021.
At the National Executive Committee Meeting of NARD held on July 30th, 2021 in Umuahia, Abia State, NARD stated part of its grievances to be the alleged purported directive by the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Special Duties, to reduce the monthly payment of NYSC Doctors from N75,000 to N15,000, effective July 2021. The association frowned at that.
But the Lagos State Government on Sunday, August 1, said the information at the disposal of NARD was false and misleading.
Ajibola Ponnle, reacting on behalf of the Lagos State Government said that the decision of NARD to go on strike is hasty.
A statement by LASG reads in part: “We, therefore, appeal for restraint by the Lagos Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors and Nigerian Medical Association, urging them to wait for the conclusion of these engagements”.
Ponnle added that the resolutions reached at the 42nd National Council on Establishments (NCE) Meeting held in Lagos on Monday, 30th November – Friday, 4th December, 2020, necessitated the issuance of a circular by the Head of Service of Lagos State, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, to communicate the decision taken at the Federal level to public servants in Lagos as regards a directive whereby Internship Programmes/Houseman-ship/NYSC Doctors in the Public Service should no longer attract Grade Levels in the Salary Structure as the programmes form part of the training.
She stressed that the State Government, through the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, will hold a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in the coming week on the implications of the decision taken by the National Council of Establishments on Internship, Housemanship and NYSC Doctors in the Civil/Public Service, which prompted this action.
It, however, added that Governor Sanwo-Olu remains committed to the welfare of Lagos State Government employees, particularly the health workers who have showed commitment, bravery and resilience in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
